Record Reviews

ELTON DEAN ~ THE VORTEX TAPES SLAM 203 (Barcode: 5028386020325) ~ UK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1990 Released: 1992 This is a live album by British Jazz saxophonist / composer Elton DeanFind albums by this artist, recorded at the legendary London’s Vortex club during the five days of the last week of September 1990, each night with a different lineup, four of which are quartets and one is a sextet. The list of the participating musicians reads like the Who’s Who of the British Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene at the time and includes pianists Keith TippettFind albums by this artist and Howard RileyFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist, Jerry UnderwoodFind albums by this artist and Simon PicardFind albums by this artist, trombonists Nick EvansFind albums by this artist and Paul RutherfordFind albums by this artist, bassists Marcio MattosFind albums by this artist and Paul RogersFind albums by this artist, drummers Louis MoholoFind albums by this artist, Mark SandersFind albums by this artist, Nigel MorrisFind albums by this artist and Tony LevinFind albums by this artist. The fact that Dean managed to invite all these great musicians to play with him during one week speak volumes about his position on the scene and the respect he earned over the years. The album presents five tracks, three of which are over ten minutes in duration. All the music was composed by Dean. The music is absolutely in sync with what one might have expected from such esteemed players, Free Jazz oriented, full of passion and incredible dialogues between these musicians, who often played with each other in various settings. The incredible intensity of the music still allows for excellent individual contributions to be clearly heard. The sextet (four saxophones) track is a wonderful example of group improvisation, where the mutual respect is fully observed and the saxophone quartet is featured as an organic micro-orchestral unit, later joined by the rhythm section. There is so much superb music on this album, that writing about it is actually pretty redundant, and should simply encourage to grab a copy of this gem, before it completely disappears from the market. British Jazz enthusiasts and even listeners who are aware of Elton Dean only through his association with Soft MachineFind albums by this artist, should make to bold step forward and embrace this facet of Dean’s incredible talent. Overall, this is a monumental document of the British Free Jazz scene by the end of the 1990s, when it was at its absolute peak. The tornado swirl on the album’s cover reflects the power and spirit of the music perfectly and fans of this kind of music should find this album indispensable. Lucky for us this music was captured on tape and released, staying with us for posterity. A true force of Nature!

Updated: 24/06/2023Posted: 24/06/2023

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PIP PYLE / EQUIPE OUT ~ UP! VOICEPRINT 348 ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene Recorded: 1990 2nd album by a jazz ensemble led by the legendary Canterbury Scene drummer Pip PyleFind albums by this artist. On this album they are a quartet with new member Paul RogersFind albums by this artist, a superb acoustic bass player, who brings the sound of the ensemble closer to the mainstream jazz sound, but the music remains fresh, modern and intelligent. Plenty of great solos by all four players and a good recording sound make this a true gem.

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JOHN STEVENS ~ AT THE PLOUGH `79 FMR 215 (Barcode: 649849982766) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 Released: 2007 British drummer John StevensFind albums by this artist was one of the great heroes of the local scene and a great pioneer of the European Free Jazz / Improvised Music. Together with such distinguished British improvisers as Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist, Paul RutherfordFind albums by this artist, Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist, Derek BaileyFind albums by this artist and Barry GuyFind albums by this artist, Stevens laid the foundations of the modern British Jazz revolution in the mid 1960s, when he started his Spontaneous Music EnsembleFind albums by this artist (SME), which he led for many years. SME recorded extensively through the 1970s, when the Improvised Music movement was at its peak. Later on he also recorded with many other European improvising musicians from the continent and continued to record for small independent labels. Stevens died in 1994 (at the age of 54) and left an immense legacy of recorded music, as well as a crucial contribution to the development of the Jazz Art Form. This live recording at the legendary London pub “The Plough”, which served as the meeting place of the Improvised Music scene in the 1970s, captures the John Stevens Trio with saxophone giant Mike OsborneFind albums by this artist and superb young (at the time) bassist Paul RogersFind albums by this artist. The set was recorded on a portable tape machine, which means that the sound quality is limited, but it does not affect the intensity and the brilliance of the music. The trio performs three Osborne originals and three interpretations of Jazz standards, which of course get quite a work-over. All three musicians are simply brilliant and the fans of this music should be grateful it was preserved for posterity, especially in view of the rather limited availability of live material by Osborne. Great to have this lost treasure rediscovered and available for all of us to enjoy. A gem!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend